First Kiss
by NeirahIgarashi
Summary: <html><head></head>A brief romantic one-shot between OC Arihana and Hiten. Upon saving the fair creature from certain destruction, Hiten grows fond of the woman desiring his protection. With time, perhaps they can even teach each other how to love. Cover art by CatiArt on DeviantArt</html>


p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"The flames were so tall that they seemed to kiss the sky and chase the stars out of sight. Arihana reached out to her forest home as it burned, devastated with the destructive mentality of the mortals she once protected. They wanted to kill her when all she had ever done was try to help and heal them; so why was it them she pitied? Tears slowly ran down her face but she refused to blink them back as the golden flames licked at the treetops. It was all that she'd ever known; a lonely existence in a forest of solitude. Now, even as her bare feet were tickled by the fragrant petals of her favourite blooms, she felt empty; and far from comforted. Hiten slowly wrapped his arm around her shoulder, laying his fingers on her bare arm in the gentlest of ways. She gasped softly and turned to face him, her cheeks flushing hot and her dainty palm clutched to her chest./p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"He was staring at the forest burning bright in front of them; watching the glittering of the embers on the tree line as the forest foliage crackled its last helpless pleas into the night. When he turned to face her with the sense that she had already made a similar motion, the fear had returned to her gentle lavender eyes. He sighed in disappointment and resisted tensing uneasily against her body in its fragile state. She was like this when she witnessed him fighting, when she witnessed him killing. How could he make her understand that he had done it for her as a result of his fear for her precious existence? What did she really think of him, her hero? He turned away and let his arm fall from her side, shivering with the loss of her warmth against him. She clenched her fist tighter to her subtle breasts. "Arihana, do you fear me...?" He rumbled softly, trying to keep his tone even and gentle. Dusk was upon them now and villagers were scampering about in panic over the fire but their voices and screams where nothing but hollow echoes in his ears. He had done it; caused every scream to pierce the air that night since he'd set the forest ablaze. She turned so that their backs were to each other, no doubt in an attempt to avoid the crimson in his eyes reflecting that of the fire set to her home. Her hand shook at her chest and she slowly shook her head.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;""No, Hiten..." She still spoke in a voice that was so small, it was barely audible. He turned to her in surprise, his brows furrowing in concern as she started to tremble and her gentle tone wavered. "You saved my life... twice. Even though it held no value, I had nothing to live for or offer..." Her long, dark lashes fluttered shut beneath the saddened crease of her brows. He took a step towards her in posturing and clenched his fist tight at his side.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;""Don't say things like that Arihana! Don't you dare believe that! Not for one second!" She flinched at his demand and turned back towards him; her hair dancing around her gently bewildered expression. He immediately backed down and relaxed the tension stealing his body with his frustration before she grew intimidated enough to flee him. He breathed a long, shuddering sigh and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, pet… I don't know wh-"p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;""Hiten? Do you think I'm pretty?" He flinched and blinked a couple times as he stared forwards into the flowers rippling around them, before shifting his gaze sharply to hers. His expression softened in astonishment as he watched the fair creature trembling in one spot before him. After a moment of their gazes meeting, she quickly turned away and her cheeks were colouring once more. "I-I mean… I don't have pretty dresses or coloured lips like the women of the village…" She lowered her diverted gaze and clasped her hands to her chest once more. Even now in their fear, the women that scampered around the village were beautiful. She had spent her whole life observing them and the developments of their beauty. She wished that she were like them; mortal, accepted… beautiful. Would he stay, if she were beautiful? She gasped as Hiten was suddenly upon her and before she could turn away from his overwhelmingly sudden advancement, he denied her with one strong arm as it curled around her back. He reached out and cupped her face in his hand, raising her chin to tip her flushing, diverted gaze to his.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;""You don't need any of those things." The harshness from the battle had left him, even though the intimidating rasp in his voice remained. "They would only hide what beauty you possessed... A beauty that I've grown quite fond of…" She gasped and her pale cheeks flushed their signature bright pink. For the first time since he'd saved her among the very petals dancing around their feet, she saw him smile. "I love it when you blush." He offered softly. "A mere human could never compare to you." His throat worked as he swallowed dryly and stroked her wild silver strands of hair over one of her long, sharp ears. "You're breathtaking, Arihana." He gasped and frowned slightly when he saw the look of fear return to her gentle eyes. He sighed dismally and slowly diverted his gaze. "Arihana..." She started to tremble beneath his touch once again and he didn't understand why; he had never displayed such self restraint. What was she afraid of? "You say that you're not afraid of me... but then, why are your eyes filled with such terror?" He ground his teeth hard and shook his head in his frustration. Every time she looked at him she had a desperate look in her eyes; like she was silently begging him to spare her life. Why couldn't he stop desiring such a helpless expression? The fact that anything could make such a beautiful flower feel such terror disgusted him; he couldn't accept that he was the cause… he didn't want to… She turned away as her heart raced and her breathing hastened, clutching both hands to her chest for stability.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;""It isn't you I fear, Hiten." She admitted softly in a small, trembling voice. He stilled and opened his eyes, staring forwards into the sway of the tall grassy plain. The twilight breeze lifted stray flower petals and they danced about the two, carrying sweet scents of the flowers into the air to offset the scent of burning and decay from the fire nearby. It was easy in the moment to forget that a forest burned brightly behind them while the full moon rose off the horizon of the field. The flowers swayed in the breeze as the moonlight kissed their delicate petals; shimmering like fallen stars at their feet. Arihana reached out and caught one of the rising petals and caressed its velvety surface; smiling to herself as she faced the endless field of flowers beneath the rising moon. "What I fear are these feelings... that I have never felt before. They started upon your arrival… They're feelings I have for you..." She paused for a moment and gently released the petal to dance with its brother and sisters on the wind. "That is the fear you see... I could never truly fear you..." She whispered gently, closing her eyes for a moment to gather her thoughts. "I trust you with my life..."p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"Her eyes flew open and widened as she felt the heat of his skin against her shoulders. She gasped as she spun around to see that he was now but inches from her lean figure. His gaze was captivating as he forced it upon hers in determination and she stilled as a result of the intensity drawn from the moment. He slowly raised his hand to caress her face, his thumb gently smoothing over the swell of her flushing cheek. The world went silent for a moment; the screams of the villagers, the crackling of the fire… they were none existent.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;""You say you can trust me... with your life..." His voice shook as he spoke softly before her and he raised his other hand to rest her face gently against his palm. "But can you trust me with your heart...?" He whispered closely to her delicate features. The wind carried strands of her long hair to encircle them; embers dancing on the twilight breeze that fell in the valley. She started to tremble and she whimpered softy with her uncertainty. She was a well aged demon, but to a human she would have only been a girl; she had only existed as a girl. She didn't understand why she felt so compelled to hold, to desire being held. Her lips parted slightly but her words were lost in his touch. Her lashes fell heavy upon her eyes as he drew closer, careful to keep from advancing too suddenly.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;""I-is... is this love… Hiten?" She whispered breathlessly; her lips brushed against his as she spoke, unintentionally teasing his senses. He snorted softly, smiling at such a fickle and amusing thought.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;""Your guess is as good as mine, pet..." He whispered back, stroking her hair back out of her face. If love had found such a monster as himself, then he was eager to taste it. The pink in her cheeks darkened and she slowly closed her eyes in ultimate submission. He was in control now; she had made that very clear. His job was to cradle her gently through the process it took to teach a girl… how to become a woman.p  
>p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"The fire in the forest behind them blazed bright as he eased her close to his chest and pressed his lips against hers. It was as if her home wasn't melting beneath the heat of the village's hatred for her innocence; as if she had already found a new home in his arms. He ran his fingers through her long, wild strands of hair and encouraged her to press closer to him still. He wanted to feel the entirety of her fair figure pressed tightly against him; submitting everything to his demand. No, he didn't have to demand anything of her. She was more than willing to devote her attention to his lead but the truth was that he didn't have the vaguest of ideas how to love; they would learn that together. He loved the feeling of tangling his fingers tightly in her hair as it danced in the wind; so wild… so free. Her long ribbon brushed against the back of his hands as he held her face against him, encouraging her to help him to prolong such a perfect moment in time. She whimpered against his lips as she reached out and held him with trembling hands; one hand against his chest, the other curling innocently around his waist. Her innocent cries and uncertainty only made him want her more. Despite this being her first kiss, his restraint with the innocent maiden was failing and he kissed her hard now with all of the need that had boiled inside him for so long. He was delighted when she submitted to his desperation without hesitation and parted her lips for him to indulge. This woman had overwhelmed all of his senses and he was certain now that she had found his heart.p 


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